Anna Pitoniak’s latest novel, Our American Friend is the perfect book to start on a rainy weekend. From the very first page, I found myself wrapped in the story of the mysterious First Lady and the long-buried secrets that are carefully revealed. In the story which goes between the 1970 and 1980's Moscow/Paris and the present, the author expertly describes the details giving the reader the feeling that they have a front-row seat as each new revelation unfolds.

This is definitely one of these books that you can finish in a weekend, and I found myself unable to put the book down as I waited for the final secrets to be brought to light. Our American Friend was one of my favorite reads for the month of February and I highly recommend it.

When a journalist has special access to the First Lady of the United States, secrets are revealed and mysteries emerge, especially when the First Lady is the daughter of a former KGB agent. The question is, why does the First Lady decide to confide in Sophie, and what does she hope to accomplish? This fast-paced novel made me think about trust, loyalty, and what people do to survive. Who should you trust? Where is your loyalty? How did you get “here”?
Anna Pitoniak’s characters come to life in this well-crafted novel where several storylines weave together deftly. The story is completely believable and that makes it even more intriguing, especially in the world we are living in now. What if this happened in real life now?

Fast-paced and addictive! Reminded me of a cross between the television show "The Americans" and the real-life political drama surrounding the Trump presidency. While I didn't appreciate the overly political dramatics, they were infrequent so I could set them aside and still enjoy the novel for what it was - pure, escapist intrigue!

I was so exited to read an early copy of Our American Friend. Not only did I love the story jumping across multiple decades, but I found the writing and story so compelling. I love a good political thriller, but factoring multiple decades and countries, and this one is a knock-out. Clearly, our cast of characters bears striking resemblances to former President Trump and his wife, Melania, but the beauty is this is fictional and therefore much more enjoyable. There are so many questions about loyalties and what sacrifices people will need to make. Many political thrillers feel far-fetched, but this felt shockingly in reach (unfortunately). Pitoniak did a masterful job. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-galley!

I got `16% in and just couldn't get into this. I was kind of bored and kept asking "why do I care?" about the First Lady. I've heard good things about this one but it just didn't pull me in.

I loved Anna Pitoniak's first book; her second, not as much; and I loved this one. I'm really interested in fictional political-leaning books and TV shows (think Campaign Wives, The Good Wife, etc.) and the Cold War crossover really piqued my interest, so I was super excited when I got approved for this book. I loved everything about it!

Fantastic novel set during the Cold War and more recent political climate. Lara Caine is the wife of the divisive President but yet no one knows a lot about her; especially before her modeling days. Ms. Caine hires journalist Sofie Morse to write her biography. Sophie isn't really sure what to think about being called to write this book. Not only that but writing a biography is personal and takes getting close to your subject. As a journalist, Sophie has her doubts about how to handle this and still be partial.

What Sophie learns is a background that she couldn't have even fathomed but it leaves her in quite the quandary.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel, but it was exactly what I needed. The writing is fantastic, and these are characters that I won't soon forget.

Wow! What an amazing story, amd I almost missed it. After starting this book for the first time, I became very confused with the characters and where and when the story was taking place and as it skipped around in extremely long chapters. I put the book aside for a couple of weeks. When I returned, I made a character chart and took my time at the start of each break in the chapter. (I sure wish that there were either shorter chapters or above each break in the chapter put the year and location.) I fell in love with this thriller. Loved the main character, Sofie Morse who is a journalist who is asked to write First Lady Lara Caine’s biography. I, too, felt that the author wanted us to think she was a “Melania Trump” character, but the reader finds out quickly that she is not. Her husband, President Henry Caine, has started his second term and has some Trump characteristics.

Mystery, intrigue, and secrets are abundant. I liked the depth of research the author did to give us the feel of what the Soviet Union was like. I thought CIA agent Walter Smith was intriguing, and I could see him show up in another Pitoniak novel. I did figure out a few of the twists but I also found lots of surprises. Lots of good lines in the writing. Example: “…the corpse of the Caine presidency went cold..”

I think this book would be a good book club book. Lots to discuss. I look forward to checking out Anna Pitoniak’s other books. My thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Our American Friend is a great espionage story. Reading about Lara’s life as the daughter of a KGB spy was intriguing enough but when she starts her life as a spy it was even more riveting. At times I felt like the story was not moving fast enough for me but all was explained by the ending. I also appreciated learning more about Russia during the 80s since world politics were not on my radar when I lived thru those years.
Great read!

Genre: spy thriller, historical fiction
Pub date: 2/15/22
In one sentence: Journalist Sofie Morse gets the opportunity to write the biography of Russian-born First Lady Lara Caine, revealing a slew of Cold War secrets.

I love a good spy thriller, but most of them have male protagonists. So I was really excited to see Our American Friend, centering on a successful woman with a mysterious past and her biographer. I loved how the Cold War timeline unfolded, and there were plenty of surprises to keep things interesting. The present-day timeline was a bit slower, but Pitoniak ratcheted up the tension towards the end to keep me guessing. Politics trigger warning: Lara's husband is a Trump-style demagogue, and some reviewers didn't enjoy the political discussion.

I think fans of spy thrillers will enjoy this twist on the genre - you'll find it hard to stop reading.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anna Pitoniak's Our American Friend is a propulsive spy thriller that departs from the genre by putting two women at the center of its narrative. I fell asleep reading it and picked it up immediately after waking up the following morning.

Some readers might find it to be #Resistance fanfiction, but readers willing to suspend reality and go along with the adventure will find a lot to love.

Perfect for fans of "The Secrets We Kept."

I really enjoyed this political thriller. Lara and Henry Caine are clearly based on the Trumps but Lara still manages to be a sympathetic character. Sofie is also a very likable and relatable character. Both Lara's storyline in the 1980s and the present day story of Sofie and Lara were interesting and format of switching between the timelines worked well. I had never read anything by Anna Pitoniak before but I will be checking out her other books. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Everything about Our American Friend screamed "Read Me". "A propulsive Cold War-era spy thriller crossed with a fictional biography of a First Lady. Spanning from the 1970s to the present day, traveling from Moscow and Paris to Washington and New York," how could I resist?

After seeing President Henry Caine reelected to a second term, Sofie Morse knows she can no longer continue as a journalist covering the White House. She is just too fed up with his outlandish behavior and all the chaos surrounding his administration, so she quits her job with no plans for the future. While she is trying to figure out what is next for her, she receives a phone call from the the First Lady's office asking her to come to the White House for a visit. Intrigued, she can't refuse. The First Lady wants Sofie to write her biography and agrees to give her unlimited access. This sets Sofie on a path with life changing implications that reach far beyond what Sofie could have imagined.

Our American Friend reveals just enough of the backstory and the current narrative in each chapter that I was compulsively turning pages, unable to step away. It keeps you in suspense until the very end.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting novel. This book is about a First Lady of the United States who is the daughter of a Russian KGB agent and grew up in Paris. I found the first few pages of the book a little confusing, but I'm glad I kept going. The story is framed by the narrative of a journalist writing the First Lady's biography. She becomes close to the First Lady, spends lots of time in the residence part of the White House, and comes to know the First Lady and her mother and sister well.

Highly recommended, a page turner!

Sofie Morse is an American journalist who has worked through the most unusual presidency of her life - the presidency of Henry Caine. One day she is contacted by Lara Caine, the First Lady of the United States, to write her biography. The First Lady, a woman of Russian descent, has promised to be open and honest with Sofie and does not require her to sign an NDA. Lara relays the story of her father, a man who worked for the KGB, and how his life was taken. She also shares the story of her one true love, Sasha, and how he changed her life. Lara's life is forever changed when she meets Sasha's American friend. During the telling of her story, Lara reveals her biggest secret and then stops talking to Sofie who runs with the story and upends lives. This secret reveals an act so treasonous it causes Sofie and her family to run away to another country.

When I decided to request this book from Netgalley, I thought the storyline sounded intriguing but I was unsure of whether I would enjoy the time period covered due to the 60ish cover. I am so glad I didn't let the cover sway me as this story was amazingly told and kept my interest the whole way through. It was obvious at several parts that President Henry Caine was modeled after the last administration and the ridiculousness that America had to deal with for four years. The story spans the 1970s through the present day and shows the changes that take place not only in the main characters but in Russia, the government, and the KGB.

I was very excited for this book, but I found it somewhat hard to get in to. The book was well-written and the plot overall was interesting but the tone of it was not necessarily something I liked.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Anna Pitoniak, and publisher Simon & Schuster. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Anna Pitoniak to friends and family. She writes a tight mystery with enough twists and turns to keep us enthralled.

Sofie Morse and her husband Ben, both US citizens, are residing temporarily on the Adriatic coastline in Croatia. Hiding, actually, in a country without extradition treaties with the United States. Wondering how it ever got this far gone. This is an interesting book with a lot of background in both Croatia and parts of the US, and peopled with folks you feel like you know and perhaps understand. Lots of spy stuff, for those who relish it, and an interesting look into the manners and mores of the White House. And you will recognize Lara Caine at first glance. A very timely novel, one that I enjoyed. I think that you will, as well.

Though I do read a lot of thrillers, political thrillers are not a subset of the genre that I tend to gravitate towards, so I don't think that I would have picked this one up had the publisher not brought it directly to my attention. This book combines a thinly veiled fictionalization of the previous presidency with a foreign-born First Lady, Cold War spies and a bit of romance. Henry Caine in this re-imagining wins a second term, spurring political journalist, Sofie Morse, to leave her newspaper. But it's not long before another opportunity comes knocking. Lara Caine approaches her to have her work as her biographer. However, the book opens with Sofie and her husband living in Croatia in apparent exile from the US.

Each chapter pretty much follows the same same format, of time in Croatia, then flashing back to the year before and then even further back as the First Lady's story also unfolds. Pacing-wise, this is a bit of a slow burn. The characters do come to life - but that may be in part because they are so obviously based on real people. I am not sure if this will have quite as wide of an appeal because of that. The tension never really builds into anything... It kept my interest, but was never as thrilling as I wanted it to be.

Set in Split, Croatia; Paris, France; Moscow, USSR; New York, NY; and Washington, DC, Our American Friend is a gripping political thriller. The year is young, but I'm calling this my favorite book of 2022, so far. I love everything about it -- especially the premise. A fictional but oh-so-familiar American president has a stunning, enigmatic wife. Yet there's way more to this Russian beauty than meets the public eye. The First Lady invites a young, burned-out White House correspondent to be her official biographer, thus opening the door to Soviet-era secrets as well as a budding friendship between the two women. Author Anna Pitoniak paces the revelations in perfectly restrained doses. If you love a good Cold War-era spy thriller crossed with fictional First Lady biographies, this will be your jam.

[Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book.]

While I couldn't stand some of the characters, I also couldn't stop turning the pages! This was very cinematic and propulsive and I hope it gets the buzz it deserves!